Find sales agents or sales representatives in Europe

For a lot of products working with a local sales agent or with a dedicated sales representative can be a good solution.

Especially if you have a customized product or service, or you want to work with a number of resellers in the country, an agent can be the one connecting these parties to your organization abroad.

Agents can be individuals, but I often recommend to work with established companies who already have a good network and where you are not dependent on just one person.

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Set up your sales force in Europe

With over 700 million inhabitants who are relatively affluent Europe offers a huge potential to sell your goods or services. But Europe is not one market, it consists of 44 countries, ranging from huge territories like Germany to small islands like Malta.

Business etiquette in (Western) Europe

In Europe, punctuality is highly valued, so always strive to arrive on time for meetings and appointments. Handshakes are the customary form of greeting, usually firm but not overly aggressive. Maintaining eye contact during conversations demonstrates sincerity and attentiveness. Business attire tends to be conservative and formal, so dress sharply to make a good impression. Additionally, respecting personal space is important, so avoid standing too close or touching colleagues unnecessarily. Lastly, business discussions often involve thorough analysis and decision-making processes, so be prepared for detailed negotiations and expect a focus on building long-term relationships rather than quick deals.

South European business culture

In South Europe, encompassing countries like Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal, relationships are paramount in business dealings. Building trust and establishing personal connections often precede formal negotiations. Business meetings frequently take place over meals or coffee, providing an opportunity for informal conversation and relationship-building. It’s common for discussions to be lively and passionate, reflecting the expressive nature of these cultures.

What business culture to expect in East Europe?

In East Europe, including countries such as Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Hungary, business culture is characterized by a blend of formality and informality. While relationships are important, there is often a greater emphasis on professionalism and competency in business dealings. Meetings tend to be more structured and formal, with an expectation of punctuality and adherence to agendas. Business attire is typically conservative, and it’s essential to maintain a professional demeanor throughout interactions. Decision-making processes may be more centralized, with authority often resting with top executives or government officials.

Travel to Europe for a better impression

The best preparation for doing business in any country is visiting it. This way you can experience the culture, check the shops and build your network.

With Trip.com you can compare flights and also book your hotel.

Hotellook compares different hotel sites so you always have the best rate.

Localrent connects you to national rental car providers per country.

Alternatives for working with agents in Europe: local offices or distance selling

If you don’t want to work with agents, you can always set up a local office yourself or try to sell your product from abroad. This all depends on the product or service and the ease to reach the right buyers. Be careful with the contracts that you close with agents. In many countries their status is well protected and you can’t take their recurring income easily away from them.

Agents

Agents represent you in the country and have a limited negotiation room.
They often sell not only for you, but also for other parties.
A good agent already has a network in your target market and can start selling directly.

Local offices

Local offices are a costly option, but give you full control on your sales.
You have to send someone over and hire local staff and office facilities.
This gives the opportunity to do local marketing and business development from within the country.

Distance selling

If you product can easily be delivered and serviced from abroad (like software) this may be a good option.
Video conferencing is more accepted now and can limit travel.
Lead generation may be done with SEO, advertising and email marketing.

How to convince an agent to work for you?

I always put a lot of emphasis on drafting a good distributor pitch. Even if you already have great sales materials for your end-users, this often does not make clear what the benefits are for a potential agent, distributor or retailer to work with you.

When you approach potential sales channels with your standard documentation, chances are high that they are holding of. If you make it crystal clear what are the benefits for them, like in the example presentation, you will get a much higher response rate.

Please note that it helps to put concrete data in your presentation. You may think it is sensitive, but just know the secret is in how you achieve the rotation or the low returns level, not in the data itself. So share it here, in order to get the right attention.

Frequently asked questions

How to find an agent for your product or service in Europe?

First check whether your product normally is sold through an agent in Europe, or that other distribution structures are more common. Then determine the characteristics of your ideal agent, and find a number of these, or outsource this search. When you approach the first few, you will learn what they find important and who your competitors are, and you can get a feeling of the commissions they want.

How to convince an agent in Europe to work with you?

As in any country, convincing a a company with a good salesforce to put your offering in their assortment is difficult. Also in Europe potential agents look at the rotation of the product, how easy and often they can sell it, and multiply this with the margin they can make on it. The result should be higher than they earn now from any competing product. Only if you have proper sales data, for example from other countries, they will engage in a discussion with you.

How to find a sales representative for your product in Europe?

Sales representatives will always look at the time they have to put in the sales of your product versus the commision or retainer they get. If you are already active outside Europe, and you have data from other sales reps you work with, this will make it easier to convince them.